The gravity-defying Grip: Combat Racing flips out of early entry

Time should be warping because it’s 2018 and a brand new Rollcage game simply launched. While not formally a sequel, Grip: Combat Racing by Caged Element is unmistakably kin to the cult PSX rough-and-tumble future racer, and out now. Featuring symmetrical armoured jet-cars that don’t have any idea of ‘upside down’ and tracks that don’t significantly care a lot for gravity both, it’s a messy, scrappy fight racer nearer to Mario Kart than Wipeout. It’s been in early entry since 2016, however in the present day it speeds previous the end line. 90s drum & bass awaits within the trailer beneath.

The launch model of Grip is a hefty chunk of racer. 23 tracks, plus 5 area battle maps and 19 platforming challenges at launch, and the standard assortment of single-player, on-line and split-screen modes. It’s pointedly retro, with a pounding but old-school drum & bass soundtrack (courtesy of Hospital Records, who additionally had a hefty presence in Forza Motorsport 4) that takes me again. For those that by no means performed Rollcage, Grip is similar to Mario Kart. You go quick, you drive soiled, you shoot your folks and be careful for the dreaded blue shell equal for those who’re in first place.

Grip’s largest twist is that it’s extra twisty than something Mario has needed to take care of. Large chunks of observe have drivable partitions and ceilings, and the symmetrical automobiles deal with sudden flips with exceptional ease, though it takes the digicam a second to proper itself. There’s not a lot air management, although, so jumps are usually dangerous manoeuvres, particularly if there’s somebody lobbing homing missiles at you as you’re taking to the air. The platforming ‘carkour’ mode is an efficient place to observe the trickier elements of driving these bizarre little rocket tanks, however the fundamentals are intuitive sufficient.

The launch model of the game featured a beefy solo marketing campaign mode. While there’s no story to talk of, there’s an entire boatload of occasions to finish in opposition to more and more robust odds. I’ve not had an opportunity to play a lot of in the present day’s launch model, however hopefully I’ll be capable of get in a number of laps later this night. I can say that it seems to be pretty, although. Maxed out and operating at a stable hundred FPS, it’s actually simpler to maintain observe of than the PlayStation authentic, and I’m hoping there’ll be loads of gamers on-line in per week or two. Rollcage was all the time higher with different people.

Grip: Combat Racing is out now on Steam and Humble for £22.49/€26.99/$26.99. Those who purchased the early entry model get a set of golden automobile skins – shiny, however too cheesy for me. The game is revealed by Wired Productions.